HADLEY — The Hadley Fire Department should be back to an 11-member full-time force, with at least two firefighters on duty at all times around the clock, by the end of July as a result of funding provided by voters passing a Proposition 2½ tax-cap override this spring.
Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel, who will be retiring on Saturday, July 11,informed the Select Board at its July 1 meeting that he hopes to have four vacant positions filled and staffing return to what it was on March 31, 2025, before the time when two firefighters were laid off and another firefighter resigned.
“We have grown by leaps and bounds with our call volume, day and night, and the responses that we need to go to really require a minimum of that two staffing per 24-hour shift model,” Spanknebel said.
While the department won’t yet comply with the “two in, two out rule” set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, requiring two firefighters to remain outside the scene of a fire when two go in, the staffing will be improved from recent months when only one full-time firefighter has been on duty at times, which poses risks in responding to fire calls, and causes a dependence for use of on-call firefighters.
With the recent hiring of Robert Flaherty as deputy chief, though, the Hadley A1 ambulance has already been able to resume back-up function to the private Action EMS ambulance, which has been serving the town as the primary ambulance since June 29, 2018.
By starting to again send out Hadley A1, the Basic Life Service ambulance, some revenue will come to the town, he said.
But Select Board members had questions about whether the department’s leadership is hoping to start planning for in-house Advanced Life Support ambulance, even though there are more costs to doing that and hiring the staff for it.
The firefighter contract calls for paying around $25 per hour for firefighters, with those who are also trained as EMTs getting about $2 more per hour, and those trained as paramedics getting about $4 more per hour.
Flaherty, who could assume responsibilities of fire chief in an acting role, said there will be a cost-benefit analysis of bringing on EMTs and paramedics to join the department.
The town’s Basic Life Service operation in its first year from 2024-2025 brought in around $75,000, but has been mostly dormant since an earlier tax-cap override last September failed.
Now, Hadley A1 has responded to five calls since January 2026, leading to two transports and four refusals, according to department statistics.
A concern for Select Board member David J. Fill II, though, is whether the department, which has been directed to not make any move toward a town-run Advanced Life Service, is doing this.
“It seems like this is an end run around our directive, which was no more,” Fill said. He added that it would be a mistake to push for this, and that potential revenues may not be realized.
The Ambulance Oversight Committee, though, has voted to support going from Basic Life Support to Advanced Life Support, and for this to be done in-house. Select Board member Molly Keegan, who is a member of the committee, abstained from that vote, though, concerned about the potential costs.
Spanknebel said for now the department is just trying to bring in revenue from second calls. Having dual-trained firefighters, he said, can help bring in money and offer a quicker medical response, though he also praised Action’s work.
“I understand Action is doing a great job,” Spanknebel said.
Spanknebel said mutual aid agreements could be jeopardized if the town doesn’t have secondary Basic Life Service ambulance, and the town risks being sent bills by neighboring communities for responses in Hadley.
Flaherty said he will work within the budget that has been given, with a main goal to get back to two firefighters per shift and head toward meeting the OSHA standard, and the bigger goal down the road might be to go to paramedic-level service. The town could also begin more second and third ambulance calls to demonstrate revenue is there.
Town Administrator Nate Malloy said the immediate concern should be reducing overtime costs and making sure the department can meet the budget it is provided for fiscal year 2027.
Meanwhile, Spanknebel discussed the agreement for how Hadley fire serves at University of Massachusetts venues located in Hadley, like the Mullins Center and McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Spankenel said there have been challenges in developing the service agreement, which in the past has required Hadley firefighters to be set up for concerts and athletics events.
Fill said it’s possible that Hadley may have to use other leverage in reaching a deal with UMass, observing that the university will be requesting to serve alcohol at various games and events this fall.
“We hold the keys to their liquor license, so to speak,” Fill said. “There’s no reason they shouldn’t be cooperating. They don’t want to pay for a detail, what’s it going to cost them to not sell alcohol during the football season?”
Spanknebel’s 27 years of service will be celebrated at two separate celebrations Saturday, July 11, the first at the fire station, 15 East St., from 1 to 3 p.m., with the second a $30 ticketed event, from 5 to 10 p.m., at the La Quinta Inn in Springfield.
